The article "Schutz von Leistungshalbleitern bei der Ansteuerung externer Lasten" ("Protecting power semiconductors in controlling external loads") by F. P. Zantis in the journal Elektor, April, 1993, pp. 41-48, describes an overload protective device having an ohmic resistor as a temperature sensor, but the close linking of the temperature sensor with the power transistor to be protected consists only of mounting both on a common heat sink.